Category Archives: just because

FriendshipWorks (and So Does Enchilada Casserole)

Meet Chester:

He's not always this blurry.

Chester is a good friend of mine. He’s lived in South Boston for all of his 84 years. He is a WWII veteran. He enjoys bacon and eggs, a good Western movie, baseball, listening to the radio, and talking about how expensive everything is. He dislikes modern music, doctors, throwing things away, and how expensive everything is. He has diabetes and is legally blind. I’ve visited him often for about three years, sometimes to help out around the house, but mostly just to chat.

I met Chester through a great organization called FriendshipWorks, a Boston-based nonprofit that matches volunteers with elders and adults with disabilities. On the surface, Chester and I don’t seem to have a lot in common. But get us talking and the conversation usually turns to food.

Tonight I brought Chester dinner. He’ll eat pretty much anything, although he tends to favor pastries, candy, white bread, processed foods, and red meat. As you might imagine, none of these pair well with diabetes, so I jump at the chance to make and share a healthy meal with him. Tonight’s dinner was brought to us by the brilliant mind of Angela Liddon over at Oh She Glows. It was her Naughty and Nice Enchilada Casserole, baby, and man was it good.

This is a bad photo of a good casserole.

Click the links above to check out Angela’s site and get the full recipe. Some slight alterations: I used store-bought taco seasoning mix and enchilada sauce. THE SHAME. For the pasta, I used Eden Organic Flax Rice Spirals. I topped the casserole with crushed tortilla chips (Laurel Hill Multigrain) and fresh avocado.

For what it’s worth, this recipe has received the coveted Chester Seal of Approval. He didn’t even notice there was no meat in it.

Lots of veggie goodness.

Any ideas of what to make for Chester next?

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Filed under just because, nutrition, storytime, vegetarianism

Tales of Woe; or, How I Missed National Peanut Butter Day

Tuesday was National Peanut Butter Day, but it was also National Meeting Day at work and National Girl’s Night and Wine Drinking Day at my friend’s apartment, so somehow I missed it. I MISSED NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER DAY. Man, I love peanut butter! It’s so great, it’s one of the best foods to ever exist (unless you’re allergic, in which case, I’m so sorry – you are missing out).


What are some things I love about peanut butter, you ask? Well, allow me to answer:

  1. You can eat it with a spoon straight out of the jar and it’s awesome.
  2. So many choices! You can choose smooth, chunky, salted, unsalted (weirdo), all-natural (choose this one), all-unnatural, etc.
  3. You can dip so many things in it. Apples, crackers, chocolate bars.
  4. It’s not low-calorie, but it’s satisfying and nutritious (if you’re buying the right kind).
  5. It reminds you of being a kid.

I’m pretty bummed I missed it, but technically I celebrated without even knowing it by eating peanut butter toast with raisins for breakfast. Really, you can celebrate National Peanut Butter Day every day of the week if you’re lucky.


I’ll leave you with this video of people talking with peanut butter in their mouths. You’re welcome.


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Filed under holiday, just because, list

Shortnin’ Bread Rock

Dang, Etta James died yesterday. She was one of my favorite singers – so soulful and passionate. She went through a lot in her life, and when she channeled that pain into her music it was magic.

Anyways, this is a food blog, but it’s my only blog and I wanted to post something to honor Ms. James. With that, I present to you Shortnin’ Bread Rock. I mean, it is a song about bread. At least I’m pretty sure.

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Filed under just because